MLG Online League Filling Up
dolbex writes that Major League Gaming's new online leagues are starting to fill up-- go check out the site for details on how to register your team!
New Content Plans Are Uncommon Sense
The latest Narc's Retort is Bordering On Common Sense, about Bungie's downloadable content plans.
Bordering On Common Sense
It's rather difficult for me to get a handle on exactly how I feel about the recently announced plans for new Halo 2 maps. Part of that is because of my own personal situation-- having been without decent DSL since before Halo 2's release, I'm only just now getting the hang of the multiplayer maps that shipped with the game; and even then, my higher-than-average ping and utter lack of skill or practice is still getting me massacred daily on maps I barely know and already paid for, to say nothing of maps that are yet to come.
Bungie Reveals Halo 2 Map Expansion Plans
[image:9163 align=left hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0]Xbox.com and Bungie.net have news on Bungie's map expansion and downloadable content (DLC) plans for Halo 2.
At the end of next month, there will be two maps available for free to Xbox Live subscribers, and an additional two maps available for $5.99.
Sergeant A.J. Johnson
Has anyone else noticed or does Sergeant Johnson appear to be more of a badass than the Master Chief? Note the following:
1. He survived the fall of Reach
2. He survived Halo
3. He was attacked by Infection Stage Flood spores and lived.
4. He helped the Master Chief commandeer the Covenant cruiser, Ascendant Justice, and lived through that.
5. He survived Delta Halo (that can be argured of course)
6. He survived being on the Covenant homeworld.
7. He is just a hardcore Marine, who is a whole lot tougher than those ODST troopers.
But of this is just my opinion.
When Xboxes Are Free, Halo Movies Will Be Art
Prometheus addresses the concern that so many bad Halo machinimas may end up being made that no one will pay attention anymore. However, he thinks that original writing and high production values will keep the wheat and the chaff sufficiently separated that this won't happen.
Will There Be Too Many Halo Movies?
Prometheus writes in his blog that he believes that originality will be the quality that separates wortwhile Halo machinima from the rest, and will prevent the market from being flooded with so much low-quality work that no one will pay any attention to Halo machinima at all.
Xbox Availability Constrained?
Voodoo Extreme wonders whether Xbox demand is really as high as Microsoft says, or whether supply is being restrained in anticipation of the sequel's release. Only the Shadow knows.
2005 Video Gamers League Schedule To Include Halo 2
Jeff Gross of the Video Gamers League writes that they have recently announced a $20,000 gaming tournament that will include Halo 2. VGL is entering its fifth season, and the schedule for this year includes events in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando, San Francisco and Chicago. More information is available from VGL's website.
Run, Arby, Run
Mike Miller continues his Legendary Walkthrough of Halo 2; up this time is Quarantine Zone. Like the previous level, Sacred Icon, mostly he just runs right through it, and wonders why, with air transport available, the Covenant don't think of that themselves:
I guess there's no point in wondering why the phantom didn't just drop us off here to begin with. The Covenant probably execute their officers for asking questions like that.
Fear And Loathing In Blood Gulch
Nick at HaloDev has announced Prometheus, a map editor for Halo engine games. The editor isn't quite available yet, but information about the upcoming application is available at HaloDev; the team says they expect to provide updates on their progress at the site about twice a month.
News Roundup For A Slow Monday
The Xbox, The Xbox, The Xbox Is On Fire
Xbox365 suggests that Microsoft's new Xbox power cable may have actually made the problem worse, linking to user accounts in their forum.
Cheaters Never Win... At Least, Not For Much Longer
Frankie's Weekly What's What Update is mostly about what Bungie is doing to deter cheaters and how close they are to releasing the fixes they've been working on. Very soon now. There's also a mention of the DLC-- just that it will be announced well in advance, and be made available to users of Xbox Live and other Halo 2 owners as well.
Bungie Teaches PA The Meaning Of Repetetive
In a surprise move, the identity of this week's Humpday Challenge opponents was revealed in the latest Penny Arcade comic. As Gabe and Tycho feared, Bungie did indeed want to play Slayer, and ended up schooling the Penny Arcade duo and their friends, winning all three games with kill ratios of about 2:1. Frankie's writeup is up at Bungie.net now.